Various example embodiments of the inventive concepts relate to a memory device, memory device system, method of operating a memory device, and/or a non-transitory computer readable medium for operating a memory device, and more particularly, to a memory device shared by at least two processors and a refresh method thereof.
In typical mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablet personal computers (PCs), an application processor (AP) and a connectivity processor (CP) are implemented as separate integrated circuit (IC) chips as a two-chip architecture. In the two-chip architecture, a memory device for the AP is needed separate from a memory device for the CP. In other words, separate memories (e.g., RAM) are provided for both of the chips in the two-chip architecture.
Recently, one-chip architecture in which an AP and a CP are integrated into a single IC chip has been proposed, for example, as part of a System-on-Chip (SOC). In the one-chip architecture, the CP is embedded within the AP and a single memory device (e.g., RAM) is shared by the AP and the CP.
The one-chip architecture is more advantageous than the two-chip architecture in terms of providing a reduced size (e.g., area on a silicon wafer) and efficiency of configuration. However, because the entire storage area of the common memory device needs to be managed even when only one of the chips operates (e.g., when the CP operates, or the AP operates), the one-chip architecture is less efficient than the two-chip architecture in terms of optimization of power consumption.